Chippenham railway station facts for kids

Chippenham railway station is a busy train station located in the town of Chippenham, which is in Wiltshire, South West England. It's a key stop on the main railway line that connects London to the West Country.

Train Journeys from Chippenham

Trains from Chippenham can take you to many places! You can catch a train every half an hour in both directions.

Trains to the East

If you're heading east, trains go to places like Swindon, Didcot, Reading, and all the way to London. These are fast and frequent services.

Trains to the West

Going west, you can travel to Bristol, Bath, and even into Wales. These trains also run very often.

Local Connections

There are also trains that connect Chippenham to nearby towns like Trowbridge, Melksham, and Westbury. From Westbury, some trains continue south to Southampton Central. Other trains heading north from Westbury might start from Great Malvern or Cheltenham Spa. There's even a morning and late afternoon train to Cheltenham Spa that goes via Swindon and Gloucester. On Saturdays, there are two trains each way, and on Sundays, there's one train in each direction.

Future Train Ideas

Back in 2010, a company called Go-Op had an idea to run new trains from Birmingham Moor Street, passing through Oxford and Swindon, and stopping at Chippenham on their way to Yeovil. They hoped to start these services in 2011, but they haven't begun yet.

Exciting Future Plans for the Station

There are some big plans to make train travel even better at Chippenham!

Faster, Modern Trains

The railway line that Chippenham station is on is planned to be electrified. This means that instead of diesel trains, electric trains will run on the line. These new 'Super Express' trains will be much faster and bigger, making your journeys shorter and more comfortable.

Easier Access for Everyone

Chippenham is one of many stations chosen to be improved as part of the 'Access for All scheme' (AfA). This project aims to make it easier for disabled and less-abled passengers to use the station. When the improvements are finished, the station will have lifts, new bridges, and special bumpy paving (called tactile paving) to help everyone get around safely and easily.

Awards for Safety

Chippenham railway station has even won an award for being a safe place!

In 2004, the station received an award for its safety, which lasted for two years. This award was given because a survey showed that 98% of passengers felt 'safe' or 'very safe' while at the station. To help keep everyone safe, the station has CCTV cameras watching 24 hours a day and an alarm system.

Images for kids

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  Station entrance (1989)

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  A First Great Western service from London Paddington